George topiiam



(No Model.)

G'. TOPHAM.

PURSE.

No. 443,880. 1 Patented Dec. 30, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE TOPIIAM, OF \VASIIINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PURSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,880, dated December 30, 1890.

' Application filed August 14, 1890- Serial No. 361,982. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE TOPHAM, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Purses, of which the following is a specification.

The invention which is the subject of this specification is an improvement upon the form of purse shown in the patent of Capehart, No. 399,376, granted by the United States Patent Office on the 12th day of March, 1889. I retain the construction described in that patent of the opening and closing part of the purse without material change. As will be seen by reference to that patent, the part which folds down is folded directly upon the bottom. The four sides are connected at the lower edges directly to the edges of the bottom, so that when the sides are folded down they lie directly upon the bottom. The result of this is that when any considerable amount of coin (for which the purse is principally designed) is placed within it and the sides folded down the center rests upon the coin andis held in a partially-raised position, so that it does not fully lock or interlock and is not in the best position'for security against accidental opening.

The object of my invention is to obviate this difficulty; and the invention to this end consists in forming a pocket or cavity underneath the purse or in place of the bottom heretofore directly attached to or forming part of the sides and marked thereon by a single crease, and the said pocket in my improvement preferably extends laterally beyond the walls of the folded part, and, further, it is preferably made with rounded corners, all these points being designed for effects hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings my invention is shown,in Which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of the purse open. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the purse closed. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of a modification. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the purse of Fig. 1 with the coin contained therein.

In the drawings, the sides are represented, as at B, and they have creases 0, each crease extending from a lower corner diagonally opposite the upper corner, all in the same direction and all bending the leather inwardly at the bottom and outwardly at the top. The sides are preferably perfect squares, and the bottom edges of the sides where they connect with the bottom underneath are creased to bend inwardly, as in the said patent. The diagonal creases are marked D, and when the sides are down each diagonal folded edge thereof lies diagonally across the bottom, and the parts being properly pressed in shape and lying in a fiat position or quite down they interlock, so as to hold thepurse securely closed.

In Fig. 1 I have shown one form of my in vention. In this, A represents the bottom, and a the gusset. This gusset may consist of a single strip of leather or other suitable material, which is attached at the upper and lower edges on the lines a; and y, respectively, to the edge of the bottom and the bottom edges of the sides 13. The strip which forms the gusset, as represented in this figure, projects outward beyond the walls of the purse, which close down. The gusset may be made of any desired width, but the proportions are preferably as shown. In this construction the strip is carried around in such manner as to form round corners, as shown in Fig. 2, and this is more convenient for carrying in the pocket. It will be observed in this form that there is a space left between the bottom and the interior face of the sides when they are folded down equal in width to the width of the strip which forms the gusset, and this space is fitted to contain the coin or other articles without pressing up the folds or disarranging the lock thereof.

It is not essential thatthe gussetbe formed by a separate strip. The bottom may be cut larger and the edges thereof turned up to form the gusset with substantially the same effect.

Heretofore I have referred to the figures in which the gusset is made to project outwardly. There is an advantage in this, as it permits the rounded corners, and, further, it allows the edges of the coins to project under and beyond the edges of the folded-down and interlocked parts and aids to hold the coins in place; but where the edges of the bottom are turned up or even where a strip is made to form the gusset, if it be desired, the fold may be made inward and the gusset for the form and appearance, as shown at a, Fig. 4.

\Vhile ordinarily the purse is made of leather, as above described, it is not necessarily limited to that material.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination with the sides having the diagonal creases and adapted to fold down and interlock in the manner described, a bottom and an interposed gusset forming a pouch or receptacle, all substantially as described.

2. In combination with the sides having the diagonal creases and adapted to fold down and interlock in the manner described,

a bottom and an interposed gusset forming a pouch or receptacle, the said gusset extending beyond the sides of the purse, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the sides having the diagonal creases and adapted to fold down and interlock in the mannerdescribed, a bottom and an interposed gusset forming a pouch or receptacle, the said gusset extending beyond the sides of the purse and having rounded corners, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I at'fix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE TOPIIAM.

Witnesses:

HENRY E. CoorEn, l". 'L. MIDDLETON. 

